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“Why did they take it?”
“There was a program mirroring it.”
“What? Wow! That’s crazy. I’m sure BUTEE has some software to help with that.” I chuckle. I know they do. I created it.
“No, it’s okay.” He laughs.
“I bet Shelagh is going crazy with all your calls going to her, but then again it means she has more control over your life.” I climb into my seat and reach for the door, but he stands there before he squats down and looks me in the eye.
“I fired her today. She won’t ever have control over my life again.” He leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. “I will get all your messages.” He smiles when he stands up and steps back to close my door.
I’m stunned silent by his confession.
He fired Shelagh. He hired her while he was still in college so she could manage his life while he finished getting his degree. He’d already sold a couple of his programs to companies at the time and made over a couple million dollars. Now he’s a billionaire and competes with BUTEE for contracts. Contracts I make sure to win, even if I have to underbid him. It hasn’t come back to hurt me yet, but someday it might.
The whole way to my condo, all I can think about is the fact that he said he’s always wanted me. When I pull down into the garage, I notice that the lights are out near my parking spot. I’ll have to let maintenance know. I flip the flashlight on my cell on after I grab my purse from the seat next to me. When I open my door, a chill runs down my spine. I’ve always hated the darkness. I quickly move away from the car, making sure to engage the alarm.
As I approach the elevator, I’m struck hard in the back and fall to the ground. Pain shoots up my elbow that took most of the impact against the pavement. I’m kicked hard in the ribs, and I scream and cry out. I’m rolled over onto my back.
“Fat bitch,” a woman says. “I’ll kill you both if you don’t walk away now.” She kicks me in the side of the head, and I try to cover my face to protect it. She kicks at my chest, and I roll away from her, trying to get away.
I don’t know how to fight, really. I study Tai Chi for the health benefits. But I remember my Sifu talking about how to protect ourselves. I roll to my back and now notice there are two of them. One is definitely a woman. She’s smaller than the other dark shadow. I can’t make out their features in the darkness, not that it would matter. They are both dressed in black with what looks like masks on. The bigger one approaches me. I’m sure it’s a man. I put up my legs and kick hard at his groin. He grunts and falls to the ground. I get a knee under me and get up without exposing my back to them. When the woman approaches, I see a spark in her hand and know she has a Taser.
I push back and to the side, getting around the bumper of the car I’m nearby. I stay squatted down and move around the car as quietly as I can.
“Come back here, you fat cow,” the woman screeches. “Get up, asshole. I paid you to attack her, not lie on the ground and groan,” she yells at her partner.
I continue to move around the next car, trying to keep my breathing quiet and shallow. She’s moving around the other side of the car I’m hiding behind. My eyes are adjusting to the darkness when my watch sends a loud alert. I yank it off my wrist and drop it under the car, then I scurry away deeper into the darkness, away from them.
The alert is because I fell, and my watch detected it. My emergency contact will be notified, which right now is Elora because Chase is out of town. I hear the voice on my watch say it’s connecting with emergency services and my contact.
“Shit! We need to get out of here,” the guy says. I don’t recognize his voice.
“Hey, you fat cow, if you want your precious son to stay healthy and alive, you’ll forget about us. I’ll know if you tell.” Something about her voice sounds familiar.
I hear their steps retreating, and I fall to the ground on my butt. My chest and arm hurt. I force my eyes to stay open until police arrive. I worry about what I’m going to do to protect Orion.
An hour later, I’m sitting in a hospital room and Elora is going crazy.
Chapter 6
Thor
I look at my watch again. It’s almost noon and I haven’t heard from Briar at all. She didn’t email me last night. I finally gave up waiting at midnight and went to bed. I decided to give her some space and not email her demanding that she contact me when I tell her to.
My desk phone rings, and I pick it up. IT hasn’t brought me a new mobile yet because we’ve been busy trying to figure out how we lost the shipping contract to BUTEE.
“Sir, there is a Remington Oakley here to see you,” my new assistant says. I hired the man this morning. He’s been very competent until this moment.
“Remi is my friend. Let him in,” I growl into the phone.
“Where is Briar?” Remi says by way of greeting as soon as he steps into the room.
“What do you mean?”
“What did you say to her last night? She’s gone. I checked with Orion’s coach, who said his emergency contact showed up last night and took him.” He storms across the room and gets in my face. “So tell me what the fuck you said to her.”
“I kissed her. We talked. But when she left, she was supposed to email me to let me know she made it home. I never got the email.” I reach for my desk phone and dial her cell number. She gave it to me when we were all working to get Chase’s girl, Laya, back. It goes straight to voicemail.
